David Black recently went to Las Vegas where he and his three-legged dog, Riley, hit the town, enjoying meals on outdoor patios and decks.

And now that he’s back home, he might soon be able to do the same in not only his Fido-friendly town of Ann Arbor, but at restaurants across the state.

“We go to Palm Springs in the winter and they let dogs in almost all the open eating areas,” said Black, 64, as he tied up Riley, a shaggy white mutt, while he went into Schakolad, a chocolate and coffee shop in Ann Arbor. “I would absolutely love to see that here.”

A bill that would allow dog owners to bring their pets into the outdoor dining areas of amenable restaurants will have its first hearing Thursday in the state House Tourism committee. Now, state law doesn’t allow dogs inside outdoor seating areas of restaurants, although many restaurants allow people to keep their pets just on the outside of the fenced dining areas.

The bill would let restaurants decide if they wanted a new clientele — of the four-legged variety, that is.

Many welcome the chance to expand their customer base.

“Most of us here are animal lovers and owners, and we would probably welcome that,” said Carmen Young, manager at Pronto! Restaurant in Royal Oak. “We’re just hoping that people are smart about it and their dogs are capable of being around other dogs.”

The issue of animal behavior is a concern for restaurant owners, Justin Winslow of the Michigan Restaurant Association said. The organization wants to make sure that dog owners — not restaurants — would be held liable for any problems the pooches might create.

“Dog owners should bear the responsibility,” he said.

And what problems might happen? Think growling or barking at other dogs and people, biting, getting tangled up in table legs and chairs, or the more delicate issue of cleaning up after your dog.

“It’s a must-have,” said Donald French, 62, of Livonia, whipping a green plastic bag out of his back pocket. He and his Labrador-Weinheimer mix Brownie were people-watching in Ann Arbor. “I don’t want to leave anything behind,” French said.

Maggie Long, the executive chef and managing partner at the Jolly Pumpkin in Ann Arbor, said pets never really are a problem when the weather warms and four tables are placed in front of the restaurant.

“If (the customers are) staying any length of time, they usually don’t bring their dog,” she said. “We won’t say no, we sometimes even bring them some water.”

But the second-floor open-air deck is off limits, because patrons have to walk through the restaurant to get to the deck. Only service dogs are allowed inside restaurants.

Darian Scott, 20, is looking forward to the day when his puppy Xara, a Presa Canarin, can join him for a cup of coffee or a meal at one of the many outdoor tables dotting the Ann Arbor streetscape.

“I just usually leave her in the house when I go out,” he said. “But if you have a good dog that’s well-behaved and listens, I don’t know why anyone would refuse her.”